An Occupational Hazard
by Alph
Summary: Chazz is tired of being labeled. So he turns to an...occupational hazard. ZanexChazz, JadenxChazz Leave pairing suggestions!
1. Pretty Little Label

Alright, well…here goes! My first Yu-Gi-Oh! GX fic! I hope you all like it. Please leave reviews, reviews are my lifeblood. Chapter 2 on the way…". If there are any particular pairings that you guys want to see, just write them in the reviews and I'll try to get them into the fic.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX and I'm making no money off of this. This applies to all the chapters of this story.

His face had never been so pale, so…feminine. Those grey eyes had never been so soft, and that hair had never fallen in something closer to curls, rather than spikes. Everything about him, that hard edge, had disappeared. It was as though a veil of lace had been thrown over him, and that everyone saw him through that. That was how he saw himself, when he looked in the mirror.

Was this why his brothers saw him as weak, why they saw him as a lost cause for their family? Because not only could he not be the best in school, because he could not make the most rational decisions in a duel, but that he couldn't even look good when standing next to his family?

"Damnit! Man up, Chazz! Man UP!" The teenager screamed to himself, beating his fists on the side of the porcelain sink in his room. He stared at his face in the mirror, and saw himself growing more feminine by the second, less perfect.

He reached into his medicine cabinet, whipping open the mirror that he was staring into. He looked at the bottles upon bottles in there, all with the same labels. All were small, little white bottles, with yellow paper wrapped around them.

Depression medicines, A.D.D. medicines, medicines to prevent asthma, medicines to prevent bone loss, vitamins, all encased in their neat little white labels with the prescriptions on them. Each bottle had the name of a different doctor on it. The bottles filled the entire large cabinet. More were hidden under his mattress, in his beside drawers, under the chairs. They were everywhere, each bottle half-full.

Tears were falling down his face, and he didn't even know it. He just quietly reached down, and picked up a bottle of the A.D.D. medicine. The cap popped open easily enough, and the pills fell into his hands. He popped them into his mouth, and opened his mini-fridge. One of the perks of being an Obelisk blue, he supposed. He felt the pills dissolving due to the moisture already on his tongue, and he relished the sour taste. It had become something of a familiar comfort. It was a little sad, he reflected as he opened a bottle of freshly bottled mineral spring water, that his best friend was the taste of a pill dissolving on his tongue.

The water tasted bitter as it mixed with the half-dissolved pills, even as they ran down his throat. He stared at himself in another mirror, this time a full-length one. He could tell he had lost weight, and that made his waist even more feminine, the rise of his chest, his ribcage, a delicate swell of bones. His breathing was laboured, as it had been for three months.

Suddenly, everything looked so much more focused. The weaving on the carpeting was so…interesting. How had someone thought to make that pattern repeat so beautifully? Why did the lines on the desk waver like that, those tiny little ruby lines in the mahogany? And then his eyes lit upon the book that lay on the desk, thrown carelessly over all of his papers. Why had he thrown something so perfect, with so many little vertical lines? It seemed so…careless.

And when he opened the book…! Look at all those wonderful little numbers! They made up so many interesting facts, facts that he absorbed into his brain. Hyper-focused, everything that he read moved into his brain. How could he have ever thought this was boring? It was…fascinating!

Hours spun by, the night fading away in silvery threads, giving way to the gold net that daylight threw over the bedroom.

"Come on, Chazz! We're going to be late for our test!" Alexis, queen of the Obelisks, shouted. She shook the boy's shoulder, wondering how late he had stayed up. His face was pressed into his book, and his blue blazer was wrinkled. His hand was cold, his pulse sluggish as she gripped his wrist. She shook her head, grabbing a bottle of water from his mini-fridge, knowing that he kept thousands of bottles in there. She poured the bottle over his head.

"Wh…What?" Chazz spluttered, sitting bolt upright before he slid from the chair, shaking his head, sending water flying everywhere. His already spiky hair stuck up in peculiar angles as he hurried to get ready, changing coats, brushing his hair, hurrying a quick shower and running down the hall with the girl to get to his test.

When the test was given back, he had a perfect score. That didn't surprise anyone – it was, after all, Chazz Princeton.

He never had to try for anything, they muttered. He barely ever studied, and he stayed up late talking to girls online, from exotic vacations he had taken. At least, that was what the rumors said. Chazz himself was just that, a rumor. A carefully constructed rumor that made him the perfect boy.


	2. Snapped Roses and Sharpie Eyes

"Hey, Chazz! How did you do on your test?" Came the Southern, drawling voice of his friend. He was sitting on Chazz's bed, kicking his legs idly as he watched his friend looking through his closet. "Did you hear me?" He asked, once he didn't get an answer. Chazz merely made an odd sort of noise – something between a snort and a yes.

"I did well. Perfect score."

"As usual…" His friend agreed.

Chazz smirked, and tossed some old clothes into a box to give away. Or to burn. Depending on his mood, depending on whether he wanted to give things to poor people or not.

"So…are you taking anyone to the dance?" Chazz asked, peering over at his friend as he folded a pair of slacks that he had found crumpled at the bottom of his closet, then putting them on a hanger, to get sent to the dry-cleaning facility that was in the Obelisk Blue dorm.

"As of yet, no." The other boy shrugged a bit, "But I'm thinking that I may ask Jasmine. I'm not sure. What about you, Chazz? Are you taking anyone?"

"I don't think I'm going to go. It's such a waste of time, just a bunch of little kids trying to dance together."

"Oh…?"

"Yeah. But I think I'm going to ask Mindy." Chazz said with a bit of a shrug, tossing some more clothing into the box, shirts tumbling back.

There was the clatter of a pill bottle rumbling across the floor. His friend blinked at it, and picked it up slowly, from where he had kicked it from under the bed. Chazz was frozen in place, his breath uncharacteristically short.

"You should put this in your medicine cabinet. No wonder you can't find your aspirin." The friend said, putting the pill bottle onto the side-table next to the king-sized bed.

"Right." Chazz said shortly, letting out a relieved breath. No one suspected anything…and they never would if he played his cards right. No pun intended.

-

Three days passed rather quickly. It was Thursday now, the day before the dance. Chazz paced his bedroom nervously, wondering if he actually could pluck up the courage to ask Mindy to the dance. Just like any other teenager, Chazz feared rejection. Even if he didn't particularly like the girl, if he was going to go to the dance he couldn't go alone. This school dance, including the whole school, was only once a year…and he wasn't going to miss out.

He went to Mindy's dorm, his knuckles white from how hard he was clutching the bouquet of roses that he was holding. He knocked on the door quickly, before he could stop himself, and stopping biting his lips, putting back on his self-assured mask, eyes cool and hooded, just like his older brothers'.

"Chazz! What're you doing here?" Asked Jasmine, opening the door. Chazz fought the urge to scream. He hadn't come here for Jasmine, and he just wanted to get this over with before he chickened out. Jasmine's eyes were trained on the beautiful red roses in Chazz's hand, wrapped his white paper.

"I want to talk to Mindy."

"Alright…come in." She said, opening the door enough to let him in. Mindy was throwing clothes around, dressed in a bathrobe and slippers, with her hair up in a towel. Her uniform was on the bed, and she was tossing brightly colored, low-cut outfits around, trying to find the perfect one for the dance.

"Um…Mindy…" Jasmine said. Mindy let out an ungodly wail. "How am I supposed to get a date to the dance if I don't have an outfit for the dance? How am I supposed to even go? And I'll NEVER get my Chazzy's attention this way…!"

"MINDY!" Yelled Jasmine.

Chazz was merely staring, torn between blushing at her lack of normal clothing, her robe rather open, and laughing. Wait. Chazzy? Since when did ANYONE have the right to call him CHAZZY? He held the roses tighter, feeling one or two of them snap.

"Oh…um…Chazz…" Mindy said, her whole face going red. Her dark hair was peeking out from under the towel that hid it, her dark eyes looking bright. Chazz merely shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Uh…right." She mumbled, closing her robe more tightly, watching him.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the dance with me." Chazz asked, presenting the roses, unable to hold back a faint smile, barely restraining his laughter. It looked as though he was smiling for her, trying to look nice, but the truth was he was just trying not to laugh at her.

Stupid girl, really…

"Oh, yes!" She cried, hugging him tightly. He awkwardly patted her back, looking a little alarmed at her reaction. "Right, then…" He muttered. "I should be going…" He said, walking backwards, becoming increasingly more alarmed as she held onto him. He fought the urge to grab something heavy and pry her off of his chest.

"Bye, Chazzy!" Mindy called, giggling wildly, and whispering things in Jasmine's ear. Chazz shook his head, and ran back to his room to grab his bag, cursing when he saw what time it was.

"Hey, Chazz! You're late!" Jaden Yuki yelled as he sprinted towards the same classroom that Chazz was heading towards. Chazz narrowed his eyes, and sped up, wanting to get there before that stupid Slifer Slacker…

Syrus and Chumley were sprinting after Jaden, Syrus stumbling, Chumley panting, both of them looking supremely pathetic.

Chazz burst into the classroom, swinging the door open until it bounced back on it's hinges. Jaden skidded, and Chumley crashed into Syrus. Syrus and Chumley crashed into Jaden, and Chazz turned back just in time for all three of them to slam into him, sending Chazz skidding back into the center of the classroom, covered in a pile of Slifers.

Jaden laughed, that aggrevating, nails-on-a-chalkboard laugh. At least, that was how Chazz heard it. "Get OFF!" He yelled.

"Sorry 'bout that!" Jaden said, still laughing, getting up, holding out a hand to Chazz.

Chazz merely sneered, and walked up the stairs to his seat, high in the room near Zane, rolling his eyes as he sat down. Zane had a faint smile, and Alexis, who sat in front of him, turned around, grinning at him. "Nice entrance." She said. Chazz merely shrugged, smiling a little bit, though it was strained.

As Dr. Crowler talked, Chazz pressed his face into his hands. His eyes were rather unfocused, and he was tapping his foot swiftly against the floor. His whole body itched, almost from the inside. He felt chilly, almost…shivery. He wanted to go back to his room and pop open one of the bottles in there, but he knew that he didn't have the time to get there and back in time.

He never noticed Zane's eyes narrowing, seeing how thin Chazz had suddenly become, how jittery he was. Chazz had never been jittery, and upon close inspection, there were dark circles under his eyes. His hair looked a little bit more dull than it usually did, and his wrists were alarmingly thin, jacket less form-fitting than it had been.

"You should eat more." He scrawled on a sheet of paper, pressing it towards Chazz.

Chazz looked at the sheet of paper, and stopped tapping his foot, smirking. "You're not my mother." He wrote on the sheet of paper, passing it back, but there was the mutual understanding that whatever Chazz was doing, he would do it more subtly. It wasn't unusual for Obelisk's to do drugs – at least, soft drugs like pot. Occasionally Ritalin, like Chazz took sometimes, to focus. It was hard to maintain great grades, and the pressure was often too much to take for many students.

Zane didn't want to assume anything, though. He didn't want to get too mixed up in it – he prided himself on being removed from everyone else's problems, that he didn't have to deal with everyone else's mishaps. It was too much to get into, and he didn't want to be driven crazy by shouldering everyone else's problems.

Class seemed to drag on for hours. Jaden Yuki had taken a Sharpie, and drawn eyes over his eyelids, so when he closed his eyes it looked like they were open. He slept soundly through class.

"Slifer Slacker…" Chazz mumbled, fighting the urge to sleep. Zane's hair kept distracting him from paying attention, though. It looked so soft, and it was such an interesting color…he shook his head. He must have taken too many pills the night before.


	3. Smooth As A Bottle

I really want to thank my first reviewers! Thus, I dedicate this chapter to The New Shinigami Hikari, MissesLadyLuck, Ranma Higurashi, and Battygirl! Thanks! Like I said, reviews are my lifeblood. Also, I'll do my best to update fairly often…hopefully at least once a week, but I'm not sure. Alrighty! Onto the story!

"The fate of the Princeton family rests on your shoulders, Chazz! If you screw this up, it ruins our chances at dominating the global market! And if you screw up our chances…" Snarled Jagger, ominously.

"Let's just say that you'll no longer be welcome in this family." Said Jagger, whose normally rather wide eyes were narrowed, showing only the barest slits of the familial grey eyes.

"…I understand." Chazz said softly, turning off the plasma screen T.V. which he had been watching his brother's faces on. He went into his bathroom, and pulled out a bottle of pills, not bothering to look at which one it was. By this point, he didn't care, he just wanted to stop thinking, wanting to take something that would dull his senses until he felt good again, until he could relax once more.

"Hah. Like there's any chance of that happening…" Chazz murmured, looking at the wash of pills in front of him. "It takes ambition, Chazz! No time for fun and games! Look at your brothers, damnit…you'll never be as good as them…" He sobbed, sinking down to the ground, hitting his head against the wall, thumping it back just so that he could feel something.

The world went dark as the pills dissolved on his tongue, in his throat, in his stomach.

The next morning he woke. But it wasn't morning, it was night…and he knew what he had to do. He stole out of his dorm, his footsteps quiet as a cat's, and snuck into the Ra Yellow's dorm. He took Bastion's cards, quietly, making sure no camera's saw him, very careful to avoid being seen.

And then down to the docks, where he threw them everywhere. In hindsight, he should have burned the cards. Just dumping them was so…stupid, so obvious. His brother's never would have done anything like that.

He tore back down the dock, and back to his room. He showered, and slept a few hours, but the hours were fitful and full of nightmares. His brother's howling voices, like demons risen from hell to steal his soul, echoed viciously in his ears, mocking him, teasing him mercilessly.

"No…!" He screamed in his sleep. He was jolted away by his friend, or rather, follower, by that soft Southern accent.

"Chazz?"

He shook the boy off, and got up, tight-lipped. His face was white, and he felt sick. His head was pounding. But he couldn't take anything now; he didn't want to ruin his chances for a good future at Duel Academy as an Obelisk Blue.


	4. Texturize, Accessorize

He felt sick, as he knelt in the pool of water, his shoulders shaking faintly. He…he had just lost? No, something had gone wrong here, terribly wrong. He had played his cards the way he had to get into Obelisk Blue…but he had just lost! To a Ra Yellow! He felt sick, and he stood up on shaking legs. He barely heard anything anyone said to him, and he was aware that he was snapping out remarks, but he didn't even know what he was saying. He didn't care.

When he got back to his room, he felt winded. His head was spinning, and everything was tilting wildly. He hated fighting the urge to cry – it wasn't the Princeton way. But here he was, leaning back into the pillows on his bed, his eyes brimming with tears that he would never let fall.

As he looked at the pill bottle in his hand, he realized how white the bottle was – how pure. How scientifically perfect the pills inside that bottle were: that they had been perfect by the shaping and molding of human hands, to make a uniform whole, a neat little pill.

That was what his brother's wanted. They wanted him to be the next Princeton family pill, the next pill that would go into a bottle with a net worth of seventeen million dollars, and three beautiful faces. The bottle was mocking him – hiding those perfect little pills within it's plastic shell, as though he wasn't worthy of seeing their human-brought-about perfection.

With a scream, he threw the pill bottle across the room, watching as it shattered a mirror, destroying the image that he held of himself.

The next morning he woke without realizing that he had even fallen asleep. He woke in time for a leisurely shower, and to make sure that his cell-phone was charged. He combed his hair into the flawless spikes that he knew it was meant to be held in, a shape that he refused to let it get out of.

He stalked down the hall to his class, already in a foul mood. "Tea! A foot massage! Now!" He demanded in a loud, rather showy voice. No one responded – what? That had never happened before…

A new Obelisk was walking towards him, telling him that this was his seat…and Chazz was protesting, pointing to where his name should have been on the plaque in front of the chair. But it was gone, just another smooth white surface like that pill bottle. Was everything just a shell, nowadays? He demanded that Dr. Crowler explain that this was his seat, that he belonged to sit up here, but…

Laughter ran all around the room, catching everyone like an infectious wild-fire. He sprinted out, eyes squeezed shut. He felt so childish, running to his room, his bloodless face even more drained in humiliation. He sat for the whole day, cradled in his window-seat, looking out to sea. The ferry went back and forth, bringing supplies.

The water was so pure, and it was choppy. It was never, ever smooth. Not at all like those pill bottles. And the decision then hit him. It was obvious, really. He would go and gouge out the shell of himself, texturize himself. He would become the greatest duelist, far away from his brothers, from his so called friends, the friends that had laughed when he was demoted…he would show them all!

He left by the dead of night, with only a slight bag over his shoulder. "No more ridicule for Chazz Princeton…" He said, standing on the dock, looking back at the school. "And when I get back, you're all going to wish that you had never looked down on me. Because I will never, ever look up to you again. This school will just be a tiny foot-note in the great history that's going to be me…" He spat, seeing his family's yacht coming towards him.

And that was the end of Chazz Princeton, smooth and pale and seemingly simple, but hiding a plethora of flaws. Oh, no. He was going to come back wearing his flaws and his perfections on his chest like a war badge.


	5. The Slippery Slope: Literally

What sort of boat starts to sink in the middle of a thunderstorm? He had TOLD his brothers to get the Sea Ray yacht, not this crappy, vintage wood one! And now he was stuck, with only a bottle of water…he upended the water, trying to swallow some of it. Two drops dribbled out. He started to panic, his chest heaving as he looked around at the choppy, murky ocean water. The bottom half of his yacht was submerged, and he was clinging to the very tip of it, pale, near-skeletal hands shaking as he gripped the slippery silver guard rail.

His legs kept slipping and sliding on the sleek plastic, and he bit back a strangled yelp as the water lapped at his toes. Lightning cracked above-head, and the waves began to get much choppier, as though the tips of the waves were little knives trying to slice his skin. He felt nauseous, having left on an empty stomach with three pills. It didn't help that the pills were wearing off, and his stomach was revolting by jumping and twisting as though it were trying to claw it's way out of his throat.

"Shit…" He muttered, and then the water enclosed him as a wave crashed over his head. He was left without air, forced underwater as though a massive hand had slammed in him. The dark sky let no light through, so everything around him was an oxygen-less haze of grey. And wet.

He had the oddest thoughts as he choked on his last lungful of air. Thoughts such as, 'Why don't humans have gills? Damnit, no one ever comes prepared…', 'It IS rather grey down here. I must fire the decorator…', and as his thoughts became even more lucid while he drifted down into the water, 'I wonder if I'll see a mermaid…'

But then, everything went into a merciful blackness, his eyes falling closed, and his body going completely limp.

-

He woke up, coughing and sputtering, spitting water onto the ground as he rubbed his chest. His head was aching, and he wanted to find his bag. He needed some painkillers…it scared him a little that that first thing he thought of was his pills. But that fear didn't overweight the biological need to satisfy his addiction.

He had a vague memory of someone in a diving suit giving him a card, of some sort. A Duel Monster's card, he knew that…but he was remembering the oddest hallucination along with it. Some sort of little…spirit…had flown out of it. It was yellow, and it had the most aggravating voice. It…it was horrible. It was ugly, and slimy-looking, and everytime it moved it had to shake its behind in a horrid sort of dance…

"Oh, God…" He muttered, dragging his hands down his face, feeling groggy. His sat up, and looked all around him. For a moment, he thought that his vision had gotten messed up, that he had gone blind somehow – but no, when you were blind your vision didn't go entirely white, did it?

He tugged his shirt down a bit farther, shivering, tugging his cloak closer around his body, also. He then saw the variations – the subtle blue hollows. Of course! He couldn't believe that it had taken him this long to understand…he was standing in snow. On a sort of path, surrounded by thousands of miles of snow. And up ahead loomed a massive building, which he hadn't noticed because the snow had been blinding him.

When he finally reached the building – speaking to himself the whole way, to reassure himself that he was indeed doing the right thing, and that he could get the jet or the helicopter to come pick him up – he walked up to the doors and knocked.

A tired sort of voice, fatigued, sounded from his left. It was an old, bedraggled man. He explained that Chazz would have to find forty cards to get in. The man himself said that he had thirty-nine, but he didn't have any strength left.

Chazz took a rest by the tiny fire as the man continued to explain that this was summer, and that the winter would freeze them to death. Chazz had a rather nasty mental image of himself encased in a block of ice, someone picking at him to free him, three thousand years in the future.

Finally, he got up, and wandered around. This was hardly the dignified start that he had been planning – in fact, he sank chest-deep into snow. By the time he got out of the snow, he had hit a rather wide plane of ice. He turned to look back at the building, and snarled.

"What sort of test is this? Chazz Princeton isn't going to – WOAH!" He shrieked as he slipped, and tumbled onto his backside, and went slipping and sliding down the planes. Finally he came to stop – face first – in a pile of snow.

He spat out the mouthful, and began scaling the large hill that he had crashed into, chunks of ice and snow tumbling from where his feet dug into the ground. He grinned as a card fell into his hand.

Twenty-seven and counting…

At the top of the hill he was rewarded by another card. Sooner than he thought, his energy was gone. He stumbled back to the fire, amazed that he wasn't lost. He grimaced as his sore muscles screamed. He fell into the snow, and proffered one of the cards that he had found.

He lied, saying that he had found forty one, and that he didn't need the extra card. Now he only had thirty-nine…but make no mistake. It was hardly in Chazz's general attitude to be nice, but he didn't want the man's death on his hands.

Now to wait for the energy to find another card to get into the massive building…


	6. Half Drugged, Half Baked

A note of thanks to my reviewers! Here goes:

Battygirl: No prob. Anyway, thanks for the faithful reviews.

Ranma Higurashi: Thanks for all the reviews! And don't worry, I'll update as soon as possible.

The New Shinigami Hikari: Ahaha, I know. The animators ARE mean to Chazz…". Thanks for reading!

Kath-chan: Yep! I'll be updating pretty often. Thanks!

Mixedfic: Awww. Thanks. Will do.

And a little note to everyone: In one of my reviews, someone (they signed it anonymously) noted that I don't use the Japanese names. I know a lot of fic writer's use the original names, but I've never seen the Japanese version (I'd love to be able to speak Japanese, but I can't), so I'm just going to stick to the English names.

Also! When you guys leave reviews, I'll try to respond to them in a head-note, or foot-note. Awesome! Thanks for reading. . And onto the story.

The massive, yellow-brick building peered leeringly down at Chazz. What few windows there were, were narrow and seemed like little insect-eyes, glittering tauntingly at him from where he couldn't reach them. He was feverish, and his clothes were soaked through because of the melted snow around the little fire, which was dying out. He needed to get to a phone, but he didn't have the energy to find another card…

He let his head flop back onto the snow, and just lay there, feeling snow-flakes touch his fever-flushed skin. The force of his head hitting the snow knocked a pile loose around his body, and it pillowed up under him. Something glittered in the light, a jewel-bright tone against the unbroken monotony that was the snow. A Duel Monsters card!

He stared at it like a magpie would, for a few moments, watching it glitter. Then he snatched it up almost violently, and staggered to the door. The world lurched and spun disarmingly around him as he pounded his fists on the door.

"Let me in, I completed your stupid game! I have your cards!" His voice was hoarse, and it was quite clear that he was sick; his voice tapered off with a hoarse, strangled word, but he didn't care. He just wanted to get inside, into the warmth as soon as was possible.

The door swung open, then, the doors that were fifteen feet high, or higher! It was rather impressive, he had to say. He watched them swing open, and leant back as they did, looking at the…city?

There was a little Western town encompassed behind those doors. Saloon-like buildings, very Western-esque, sat behind the walls. Someone with a heavy Turkish accent was speaking, and then a teacher…the old man. He himself was demanding questions. Duels were fought – everything was such a blur, and it was becoming all too tiring.

He closed his eyes as he won the last duel, and collapsed onto the dusty ground. The school crowded around him.

"He's our new top duelist!"

"Yeah, but he just collapsed. He can't be all THAT strong…!"

"He must've just gotten lucky."

"He won fair and square!"

"Lucky my butt! You're just jealous because he beat you!"

The voices rang out over the dusty street as everyone looked at Chazz, crumpled in the middle of the circle. Silence rang over the little area for a bit, and then someone blinked quietly, watching him, not moving. Chazz's face was so pretty when he was unconscious, eyelashes like black needles on his too-white skin. His lips and cheeks were flushed, and his breathing was laboured, as though someone had dropped a heavy weight over his shoulders and chest.

"We should take him to the infirmary, shouldn't we?"

"…Yeah, probably."

And that was how Chazz Princeton became the best of Northface Academy.


	7. Disbelief and Affections

"I wonder where Chazz is…I can't believe he left school right before the dance!" Mindy pouted, stamping her feet. She had ended up going with that gorgeous hunk of a tennis player – she couldn't remember his name, and right now, she didn't really care. She had wanted to go with Chazz, to get to show it off that SHE had been the one to snag Chazz's heart!

But no…he had left school two days before the dance! His room was still empty – despite the fact that the Slifer Red administrator had seen him leave, no one really wanted to admit that he was actually gone. And no one wanted to go into his room without Chazz's permission – Chazz never let anyone in his room. People occasionally barged in, but no one went in there when he wasn't there. Not even the cleaning crews. He always supervised their work.

"We should clean out his things." Dr. Crowler said testily. Zane stood behind him, and Alexis glared at her teacher. "Well, if you want to do it, go ahead. But I'm not moving his stuff, and neither is Zane." She said stubbornly. "We'll get him back, Dr. Crowler! I know we will. We're not going to let Chazz go that easily, no matter how upset he is." She said with a flare of emotion.

Be it far from her nature to admit it, but…she did miss Chazz. His snippy remarks, that naturally raspy voice…those cold grey eyes…there was something admirable about how secluded he was. Chazz had the sort of attitude that drew people towards him, when all he wanted to do was to push them away. And Alexis was set on finding out where her friend had gotten too.

A month passed, and a sort of stupor had fallen over the classroom. None of Chazz's smart-aleck remarks livened up the room, and even Dr. Crowler would occasionally glance at the empty seat, as though wondering why Chazz was so late in coming back to the class. But no one ever spoke about it – except for one person.

"How am I supposed to duel my rival, if he left the school?" Complained Jaden loudly. "Sy, it's really not fair. Honestly! I don't even know where he is, so I can't bug him about coming back." He complained.

By this point it time, he had already defeated Bastion. He was going to represent Duel Academy against Northface Academy. But his heart wasn't in it, not really. It was great to duel, but he really wanted to be dueling Chazz, to see his rival getting fired up. Chazz's cheeks always flushed, and his voice became even raspier, full of a passion that only dueling could put in him, when they dueled. And his arrogance ran to new heights, every duel, which was one of the most amusing and amazing things to watch; Chazz evolving through a duel.

But now…Chazz wasn't there. And it wasn't big things that upset people about Chazz having left – no, he hadn't had a profound impact on anyone's life, really. But there was just something tangible about his frustration with the world.

Whenever people got angry, and snapped something, they would think of Chazz, and then feel a pang of remorse when they realized that he was gone. It was nothing big, really. But it was, certainly, something that had changed the school just a little bit.


	8. The Biggest Fall Hard

Author's Notes:

R-chan: lol, that's why I use the English names. " Same with me.

Bickazer: AHAHA! "Chazz it up" is soooo lame. But why is Chazz counting by multiples of ten in the Japanese version? ". The YGO writer's really need to work on their lines…lol. I'll make sure to check out the episodes there. Sorry about shortening the dialogue, I don't like dragging out useless conversations. . Thanks for the awesome review!

The New Shinigami Hikari: Wooooot! Thanks. ".

Battygirl: Yayyy! You reviewed again! .

Kath-chan: Awww, thanks for adding me to your favorites, love. And yes, I'll be updating often. .

Ranma Higurashi: Ah yes, they do. .

Jordan: Since this chapter was written was written while you were at my house, I luff j00. . And I love my mom more than you do. So HAH. .

WARNINGS: It's gonna get pretty angsty soon! …Because I love my angst something hardcore. And also we're gonna be getting some JadenxChazz, and maybe even the ZanexChazz soon.

It had been decided, through a duel, that Jaden was going to be Duel Academy's representative in the school-wide duel against North Face.

"Aren't you worried, Jaden?" Syrus asked, as Jaden shuffled through his deck. "You're going to be facing up against the BEST student, in all of Northface Academy!"

"Should I be worried? I'm kinda hungry, though." Jaden said, scratching the back of his head, leaning into the pillows onto his bed, looking at the cards fanned out around in an intricate pattern.

"Jaden, I can't believe you're not worried!" Syrus complained, flopping back onto the carpeting, looking up at the triple bunk-beds in their room. Chumley was snoring away in his bed, doing his best impression of a steam engine at full-throttle.

Jaden shrugged a little bit, and snacked on some chips he had stashed under the corner of his mattress so that Chumley wouldn't get them. He crunched them, reveling in the feeling of his arteries clogging and the grease laying a thick track down his throat.

"I can't wait until we get to see who it is that I'm dueling!" Jaden exclaimed, pretty much dancing on his bed with a wild giggle, leaning down into the pillows, kicking his feet a little bit in the air. "I bet that it's gonna be some amazing duelist – and I'm gonna kick their butt!"

Chazz, meanwhile, was hardly talking to his friends.

He had his followers at the school, those people that worshipped him, and wanted to be like him. But he didn't care about them. Instead, he turned to the one friend that he had always had, the one friend that couldn't talk back to him.

His hands ghosted over the shell of his little friend, running over the bottle that he had in his pocket, smirking a bit. He was sitting up on one of the high walls, stretched out. The chilly air was snapping against his skin like a whip, cold and brutal.

He loved it.

It refreshed him, and left his body surprisingly numb. It was cold and harsh, and best of all, it was real. The air at Duel Academy had always been warm, even when it snowed. The stars were so much more brilliant here, as though some careless jeweler had spilled all of his diamonds onto the inky, velvet blackness of the sky.

He held his hand up in the air, hoping that he would be able to catch a star. He narrowed his eyes, and when he looked just right, squinting his eyes, he could swipe, and it seemed like he could almost grab them.

He dropped a pill into his mouth, and reveled in the bitterness of it dissolving on his tongue. As time passed, his vision went blurry, and the sharp pain in his head dulled, leaving his senses partially dead. His hand was now lying along his side, limp. He lowered his eyes, blackness clouding his vision.

"Is this all I ever will be?" He asked himself softly. "A junkie, whose only friend is a pill bottle? And a weak one at that…"

If only his brothers could see him now, if only they could see how he was lying out in the wind, his coat slipping open over his black turtle-neck. His bones stood out like white knife-slashes where they were visible, as though some great artist had taken his palette knife and carved away any fat that might have been there.

By this point, he looked like a china doll that had had the breath of knife forced into it's nostrils. A demonic little doll, with dead in mind, and a duel disk in hand.

"I'm going to take down everyone with me when I fall." Chazz whispered to himself as he slipped off to a restless sleep alone, dead to the world.


	9. No Mistakes, Just Crumpled Paper

"So? Who am I dueling? Can't you just tell me now?" Wheedled Jaden, prodding Professor Banner in the side, as he danced nervously, practically giggling in delight. The sun gleamed down, making the trees rustle like chips of emerald, and the sea sparkle breath-takingly.

"Now, now, Jaden. Your opponent will be stepping off of that boat in just a few moments." Said Professor Banner with a little smile, his long hair swaying in the breeze as everyone turned anxious eyes to the huge grey boat cutting through the air and water, like a bison, causing huge waves to splash up around it, heading straight towards the school.

"But Professorrrrrr…!" Jaden groaned, but wandered to the front where Syrus was standing, along with the head of the school, and Dr. Crowler. Everyone looked anxious, and incredibly nervous.

The boat finally pulled its way into the harbour, making a screeching, grinding noise as it came to a halt. It dropped the gang-plank with an ominous thud, and everyone shifted nervously on their feet. They saw the cluster of students on the top of the boat, of course they did. All of the students were in drab colors, greys and greens, and the occasional teal. There was one boy in a long, black coat. Girl's giggled, seeing his hair, seeing how handsome he looked from afar.

"Well, Jaden, meet your opponent!" The head of the school said, looking at Chazz.

Chazz sneered, stepping down the gang-plank confidently, and walking down to the edge of the dock, looking at Jaden with a triumphant smirk on his pale, pointed face. His eyes glittered like a dark, smokey glass.

"Hey, Chazz! Where's my opponent?" Jaden called, waving at the other boy.

"I AM your opponent, Jaden." Chazz spat, deflating somewhat. Who did Jaden think he was to speak to him like that? Wasn't it OBVIOUS who his opponent was? Chazz snarled faintly.

Zane, meanwhile, stood off to the side, looking at Chazz. The boy had lost so much weight, it scared him. All the Obelisk Blue's noticed it; Chazz's cheekbones stood out so sharply he looked as though he had had plastic surgery. His eyes seemed even larger now, and his wrists were skeletal. His hands were shaking faintly from all of the drugs that he had taken, and his ribs were sharply lined by the soft black turtle-neck that he wore under his long black coat.

Jaden, as usual, was oblivious.

"Well, Chazz, c'mon! Let's duel!"

Chazz sat in the locker room, his head in his hands.

"Do you understand, Chazz?" His oldest brother, Slade, demanded.

"Yes. Yes, I will be the best." Chazz said quietly.

"I didn't hear you!" Interjected Jagger, his silvery eyes half-closed.

"Yes! I WILL win! I WILL be the best!" Chazz yelled, screaming it at his older brother, glaring up at him.

"Good. And eat some food, you look starved."

"So nice of you to care." Chazz spat.

"If you die, then you'll screw up our plan." Slade growled, rolling his eyes. "Stupid boy."

Chazz nodded, and took the offered briefcase. But he didn't touch the cards. He merely went to the bathroom down the hall, and dropped the briefcase on the ground by his feet, sobbing.

He pounded his fists on the porcelain, bruising the white skin, shoulders heaving. "MAN UP, CHAZZ! MAN UP!" He screamed at himself. He had to do this, he couldn't disappoint his brothers – if he disappointed his brother's he would let his whole life crumble down around him, and their lives too. The future of his entire family rested on his shoulders now.

Jaden had been running to go comb his hair – after all, this duel was being cast on live T.V.! Chazz had seemed surprised by that, but not nervous. He was clearly used to the media coverage of his family.

But then, something stopped him. He heard a faint pounding sound, thumping, and then a muffled sob.

"MAN UP, CHAZZ!"

The cry broke the deadly silence of the hallway, leaving Jaden standing beside the bathroom door, shocked. Chazz?

He heard Chazz crying, but he couldn't believe it. Chazz never cried, Chazz was too strong to cry! Chazz was…Chazz! This wasn't like him at all.

He opened the door a crack, only to see Chazz kneeling on the floor, his shoulders humped forwards like he had been whipped. His shaking hands were red and bruises from where he had slammed them into the porcelain, and his face was white and bloodless.

Jaden withdrew quietly, his face somber for once. He quietly walked towards the duel arena, and felt a queasy feeling in his stomach when he entered, everyone cheering for him. But it wasn't because of all the cheering fans, the students. It was because two pale young men sat in the front row, their eyes narrowed, washing over him.

The Princeton Brothers.

And boy did they look mean…

And then Chazz walked out, and there were roars of the two schools clashing, cheering for their opponents.

Jaden was smiling and grinning, and Chazz was looking intense, but there was something different. Jaden was watching Chazz, seeing how he kept glancing nervously to his brothers to see if they approved of what he was doing. And then the worst happened, and Jaden sent Chazz's monster to the graveyard.

Both boys faltered for a moment, Chazz out of fear that he might lose, Jaden from the look in Chazz's eyes, and that fear, refusing to look at his brother's when he was doing something wrong.

But Chazz summoned his monster back and the duel went on, both boys throwing out cards in the desperate attempts to defeat the other. Chazz was battling for the love of his brothers, and their respect. Love and respect that he thought he would be able to earn by winning this duel.

But Jaden was battling to show Chazz that Duel Academy wasn't down and out for the count, and not only that, he was trying to show Chazz that when you get defeated in a duel, you don't lose everything. You just have to learn to pick yourself up again.

Chazz's eyes widened as Jaden's own eyes filled with a pride and a passion, a sort of fire, that he knew he would win this duel now. And then he threw up his cards, revealing the end of the duel.

Chazz's breath became hitched, his eyes widening as his life points dropped to zero. His monsters were gone, his defenses shattered, and his hopes of ever living up to his brother's standards gone forever.

Chazz's brothers were on stage faster than anyone could blink, and Slade had grabbed Chazz, slapping him across the face. Jagger swept his feet out from under him, snarling.

"You FAILURE! You couldn't even win a duel? What sort of brother are you?" He demanded furiously, picking his brother up again as Slade hit him.

But Jaden had rounded up Zane, Alexis, and Syrus. Bastion, too. And they were driving away his brothers, yelling some things. But his humiliation was so complete that he couldn't do anything but stumble away, gasping for air.

He had no brothers no, he had no family…no reason to function anymore. His brothers didn't want him, and his shoulders began to heave as he felt his cheek swelling where the bruises had raised up on his skin. He could only stumble out of the room into the hall, where he collapsed onto the ground, sobbing quietly.

Zane came out, and saw Chazz. He would normally have stayed away, but Chazz was so crumpled. Like a piece of paper that his brothers had written instructions on, then thrown away when they realized that there was a better way to do things.

He gathered Chazz into his arms, letting Chazz curl forwards, his head on Zane's chest. Chazz was too light in his arms, eerily so, as he carried him away from the entire scene.

He carried Chazz to his own room, sitting down on the couch, Chazz sitting next to him, burying his head in his hands, sobbing, shoulders rising and falling. Finally, Chazz stood, eyes closed.

"You're coming back to Duel Academy?"

"Yes."

That was all Chazz said – this was the only family he had now.

He walked to his old room and gathered his books, his clothes, his drugs. Everything. And then he made his way to the Slifer Red, to his new room, next to Jaden's. He put everything away neatly, his body shifting into its natural pattern. Fold the shirts, stack the pills neatly, make the bed. Then change into fresh nightclothes, and slide under the bedding.

Chazz's shoulders heaved as he lay in bed, feeling the cold bedding around him. The tiny room pressed in, and as he grabbed a bottle and poured the pills out onto the bedding, watching the tiny pills gleam white in the darkness. He shoved handfuls into his mouth, grabbing a bottle of warm water, and swallowing them all. Then another handful, and another, washing it all down with the sour-tasting water.

After a while, his vision started blurring, and his heart hammered in his chest. Then a merciful blackness overtook him, and he fell into the bedding, his eyes closed, drifting away from the real world as it was, escaping to a world where the only friends and family he needed were pretty white pills with neat little labels.


	10. Author's Note Chapter 10

To:

Battygirl: Thanks for the reviews, as always. And don't worry, his brothers will probably be finding out soon enough. .-

Kath-chan: Loved the review. IT makes me happy to have faithful reviewers like you and a couple others. Thanks again, love.

Alexander the God: Thanks so much. That was a lovely review you left me. I always like to hear that my writing style is appreciated. Thanks!

Hiei Girl 003: I'll make sure to.

AND ANOTHER AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Much more angst to come. Sorry I've been taking a while to update, I've had a bit to deal with.


	11. Twisted Little Smile

It had been three weeks since Chazz had joined Slifer Red – three long weeks of pretending to be alright. Jaden's constant badgering was starting to wear on his nerves, which were already worn almost lower that he could deal with. But he couldn't really complain about it for now, because he was at least free from his brothers, from their constant judgement of him.

"Chazz? You in there?" Asked Jaden, knocking on Chazz's door. He came in when Chazz replied angrily that he was indeed in here, and that he wanted to be left alone. But Jaden had heard that response so many times that he just came in anyway.

He took in Chazz's plastic-wrapped Obelisk Blue uniform on his wall, hanging there like the last shreds of pride that Chazz had. Chazz gave him a faint smile, that seemed to be content.

"Chazz! I'm glad that you're feeling better." He said, sitting on the edge of Chazz's bed. And Jaden had a look of such complete relief that Chazz was better – the sort of look that showed that he really did care about Chazz. Chazz didn't want to disappoint Jaden, so he just nodded, refusing to admit that he wasn't okay, that he was worse than he ever had been.

"Yeah. I'm feeling loads better." He said, shrugging. "It's nice to have a family of sorts."

"That's awesome Chazz, I'm really glad that you're feeling better. Hey, if you need anything, you know my room is right next to yours!" He said with a grin, and jogged out of the room, leaving Chazz on the bed, staring out the door.

Why did Jaden care so much? What was it about Jaden that allowed him to really want to help Chazz? He didn't understand it…but he had to admit that it was nice to have someone notice him for once.

-----

"How's Chazz doing?" Asked Syrus back in the room, looking at Jaden.

"He's awesome, Sy! He actually smiled."

Syrus grinned at Jaden, and both boys lay in their respective beds, drifting off to sleep with sweet dreams in their minds. Dreams that things were finally alright, that nothing was falling apart.

----

Chazz looked at himself quickly in the mirror. His gym clothes were baggy, where most boy's gym clothes hugged their body pretty closely. He then jogged out onto the court where all the boys were stretching. He bent down, picking up his tennis racket. It was time to try out of sport's team, and each boy was required to do at least one sport for the year.

Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley all had to do tennis, because they had forgotten to sign up for any other sports. Chazz chose tennis as his first choice, because, having been raised in a family where physical fitness was a must, and class was another must, tennis was one of the most common sports that he played.

"Serve!" Yelled Chazz, facing Jaden across the court. He raised his arm, and then let fly. The ball came hurtling towards Jaden, and Jaden was forced to dodge it in surprise, shocked that Chazz was so good at this sport.

"Awesome!"

Jaden yelled, and served the ball back, both boys starting a furious battle, slamming the ball with no mercy at each other. Fifteen minutes later they were both panting, hair clinging to their faces as they took off in amazing bursts of speed to get balls on the ground, slamming them across the court in painfully perfect lobs.

Jaden served back, and Chazz let the ball go bouncing past him.

"Come on! Chazz, grab the ball!" Yelled Jaden, dancing on his feet, eager to get going with the match.

But Chazz was doubled over, his pale face twisted slightly. He didn't seem to be hearing Jaden. Jaden began to feel uneasy, but it wasn't until Chazz began to shake that he ran over to him.

Chazz straightened up, and Jaden let out a sigh of relief.

Then Chazz fell to the ground in a dead faint, his chest completely still, devoid of a single breath.


	12. The Green Eyed Monster Dies

"It was a cardiac arrest." Zane explained, coming into the waiting room. He had been the only one allowed in Chazz's hospital room. Not even Jaden had been allowed in. They hadn't wanted anyone loud, anyone who might disturb the only rest that Chazz had gotten for quite some time.

"What's that?" Jaden asked, tilting his head, standing up rapidly, wanting to get in and make sure that Chazz was alright.

"It's where your heart stops beating." Zane explained shortly. Alexis stood also, wringing her hands. Mindy and Jasmine, and Chazz's southern friend was there. Most of the Obelisks were there, in fact, and quite a few Ra Yellows. Though Chazz hadn't declared himself friends with him, no one wanted Chazz to get hurt, because he was one of the best duelists that the school had.

"Oh my God…! Is he okay now?" Asked Mindy, her dark eyes narrowing sympathetically, her shoulders shaking faintly. Jasmine wrapped her arms around Mindy's shoulders. Mindy had had a crush on Chazz for such a long time that it was quite possibly the scariest for her. Chazz had never liked her in return, but she was still hoping, especially since he had asked her to the dance.

"We…well…we don't know yet." Zane's voice was quiet, and for once, it held a trace of fear. "He's started breathing on his own, but…Jaden, Bastion, I need to talk to you alone." He said.

Mindy and Jasmine, Alexis too, looked extremely nervous.

He pulled the two other boys into a separate room, and closed his eyes, letting out a breath. "Chazz…he's dropped tons of weight lately, his hands have been shaking…I know you guys have seen it too. And his heart stopped…the doctors say that he's been taking drugs, guys. Speed, cocaine, acid, everything that he could get his hands on." Zane's eyes narrowed, and his shoulders hunched faintly. "But I don't know why. It's killing him. Whenever he's around you guys, you've gotta keep him from doing that."

Zane's words were simple, almost too simple for the situation.

Coughing came from Chazz's room, and Zane hurried back to Chazz's room, but this time Bastion and Jaden followed, their faces solemn and cold. Jaden had grown up, today. He had grown up, because his friends needed him.

----

Chazz's eyes were closed, but they fluttered open when the three boys walked in. He had an I.V. strapped to the back of his hand, and his arms looked frail, and almost completely skeletal encased in the hospital gown. His arms were bare, and covered with bruises where he had slammed them against the walls when he was high, and where he had hit himself in his fits of self-loathing.

"Chazz…? Are you okay?" Jaden asked, sitting on the edge of Chazz's bed.

"Can you hear us, Chazz?" Bastion asked, watching the boy shift uncomfortably under the bedding.

Chazz opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He swallowed hard, then. "Yeah…I can hear you…" He mumbled into his blankets, his voice hoarse and raspy, starting to regain consciousness.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine, Zane…" He mumbled quietly.

"Chazz Princeton! How DARE you do this to our family?" Spat Jagger as he stormed into the room, his suit coat flapping open, his tie half-undone. He had clearly come here in a rushed state.

"Get out. Get OUT." Slade growled, pushing Jaden, Bastion, and Zane out hurriedly. They stood outside, trying to get back in, struggling to open the locked door. Jagger's screams could be heard as well as Slade's angry, spitting voice.

----

"We can't just leave him in there with him!" Bastion exclaimed, jiggling the knob. Jaden pulled out his lunch card, the one he used to get food. He slipped it into the doorjamb, and the door swung open

Zane stared, and Bastion raised an eyebrow.

"The doorknobs jam all the time in Slifer Red." Jaden said with a laugh, scratching the back of his head.

Jagger and Slade were looking at Chazz with looks of complete and total disappointment on their faces. Chazz's cheek had a fresh bruise from where he had been slapped by his older brother, and his frail shoulders heaved.

"You are not my brother." Jagger hissed, spinning on his heel and walking out.

Slade closed his eyes, and looked down at the ground quietly, thinking of what to say. "You will come home for winter break, and Jagger and I will make sure that you have ceased this habit. You may be useless, but we still need you as a pawn." He finally said, then walked out of the room, his heels clicking.

"Chazz…" Jaden started, about to tell a joke to cheer the boy up. Zane shook his head as Chazz's shoulders heaved, and Jaden fell quiet. Zane sat on the edge of the bed, and Chazz collapsed forwards into his arms.

Jaden watched as Zane held Chazz to his chest while Chazz's frail shoulders heaved, and he sobbed into the boy's shoulder, eyes shut tightly. Chazz's wrists looked like those of a corpse, and his hair had fallen out of its strict shape. His hair fell long and straight, past his shoulders, a stunning wash of almost-black silk.

Jaden felt a surge of a foreign emotion, a hot, burning feeling, washing through his stomach as he watched Zane holding onto Chazz, stroking his back. He hated that, he hated seeing Zane's arms around Chazz.

He didn't understand why he hated it, he couldn't get it, because it made no sense, but…he just did. Chazz's shoulders shaking, those beautiful eyes filled with tears as he struggled not to cry…he wanted to make those looks go away. But the beauty of it was that Chazz's lips were parted, and dyed red with the blood from where he had bitten them. And…God…there was just something about those lips, the way that they looked, that made something around Jaden's groin stir.

"I'll be in my room, if you need anything. Give a holler, Chazz…" He said, and walked out quickly. Bastion saw Zane and Chazz holding each other, and he left quietly, following Jaden, as was Syrus.

Chazz didn't even acknowledge that, but for some reason, even though Chazz was always like this, Chazz's sudden movement to ignore him hurt even more, as though Zane's arms around him magnified it.

The door closed, and Chazz looked up at Zane with a sad smile on his face. "I really am pathetic, aren't I?" He asked quietly. Zane shook his head, and stroked Chazz's hair back from his face.

"No. You're just not what your brothers want. But I wouldn't have you any other way…" He asked quietly.

Chazz smiled softly, and seemed a bit more content. He moved so that Zane was in the bed with him, and Chazz was now in his lap. Every movement caused a jingle of his I.V. hitting the pole It hung from to resound, but that didn't stop them.

"Chazz…" Zane said softly, stroking Chazz's long hair back from his beautiful face. "Don't think of yourself as pathetic."

Chazz nodded quietly, and then decided something. He obviously couldn't be what his brothers wanted, and he couldn't do what they wanted him to do. He would never live up to their standards, so…why not do what he wanted?

Zane looked confused for a moment, but that look of confusion slipped into one of surprise and pleasure as Chazz leant forwards and crushed his lips against Zane's.


	13. Or maybe it survived!

Zane's eyes widened in surprise, and he paused, as though he had completely frozen. Chazz's body was pressed against him, and Zane's hand had somehow made its way into the boy's hair. Both of their tongues were moving together, and their bodies seemed to be in synch, the soft clinking of the I.V. against the metal pole making music for them, both boys smiling faintly.

"Chazz…" Zane finally said, pulling away. He couldn't do this. He wasn't even gay…!

"Shut up." Chazz said, that nasty little boy acting out, pulling Zane's lips against his again. Zane nodded breathlessly. Well, if this was what was going to help Chazz get better, he told himself, then he would go ahead and do it. If it was to help Chazz get better, it couldn't be wrong, could it?

Two weeks later, Chazz had been comfortably settled down into Slifer Red once more. He had just finished showering in the outhouse. He hated it here, he wanted his private bathroom back. He missed the castle-like structure of Obelisk Blue. This was just…sickening! Disgusting!

Chazz flipped on his stereo, soft classical music drifting through his ears. He dried himself off, and dressed in a soft black turtleneck, which covered his skeletal body almost completely, along with long black jeans, and a pair of black boots.

He spread his books out in front of him, and began to read. With the door shut, it really wasn't so bad. It was rather warm and sweet in his room, with the classical music playing, and everything splayed out perfectly.

He had a cigarette clasped between his lips. Attempting to wein himself from drugs was proving to be catastrophic, so he was turning to little things like cigarettes, things that he was planning to use to help break his habit.

He heard a soft knock, and got up, opening the door to reveal a warm night, which blew sweet air into the room. Zane pounced on him when he opened the door, and he pressed Chazz into the bed. Chazz threw his shoe at the door, slamming it shut, and gave Zane a bit of a grin. "You're eager tonight, Zane…" He whispered, feeling Zane tugging his shirt off, and leaving a brilliant trail of bite-marks down his neck as he moaned.

-

When morning came, there was a pile of clothes on the floor, and two boys contently curled in bed. Zane had Chazz spooned up against his body, holding him. He didn't know what it was about Chazz, but…! Chazz was just so eager to please, though he didn't show it. And he felt terrible for wanting it, but he liked that Chazz wanted him to feel good, that he sought his approval.

He petted Chazz's sleek, straight hair with a pale hand, holding him against his chest. Chazz was sleeping peacefully, curled up to him.

He woke Chazz, shaking his shoulder quietly. "I have to go meet with Alexis…I'll see you later."

"What for?" Chazz asked sleepily.

"It's nothing…" He said quietly, and stood, dressing quietly, watching as Chazz fell back asleep, stretching like a lazy cat.

Jaden burst into the room ten minutes after Zane had left, switching on the lights. "Wake up, lazy!" He said, laughing, then blushed when he saw the long, smooth expanse of Chazz's chest, the lean muscles, the faint rise of a hip. His face's angles were like knife slashes from the mind of the world's most brilliant artist.

Jaden prodded Chazz's chest, and Chazz woke with a shriek, pulling the sheets higher. "Do you MIND?" He yelled, the sheet up to his chin, his whole face covered in a blush.

"Come on, Chazz! There's pancakes in the cafeteria, and soba, since its Saturday. Congee, too! Aren't you hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess…just…get out for a minute." Chazz said, watching Jaden's back, hearing his stomach growling.

Jaden saw Alexis and Zane walking close together, Zane's arm around her waist. And for some reason, even though he hated Zane for having taken Chazz, he didn't want Chazz to see that.

Chazz came out, eyes heavy with sleep, looking grumpy.

"What're you staring at?" He grumbled.

"Uh…nothing! Nothing! Let's just go!" Jaden said with a grin, grabbing Chazz and hauling him away towards the cafeteria.


	14. Double TwoTimers!

Chazz poked his food, sending it sliding across his plate. The little fish that he was supposed to be eating did the oddest little jiggly thing, and almost looked alive. Chazz fought the urge to hurl.

"I don't see how you eat all of this…" He told Jaden. Syrus laughed, "Jaden is Slifer's garbage disposal!"

Chazz poked his food again, watching it jiggle. "This must be some sort of joke. This is what they serve EVERY day?"

"Yep!" Jaden said, shoveling his food into his mouth, then turning his sights onto Chazz's food.

"If you're not going to eat that, can I?" He asked, laughing, then ate Chazz's food before waiting for the other boy's response. Chazz growled, but didn't fight over the food. He had a few bags of Sun Chips back in his desk, and he had a feeling that he would soon be growing to love his snack food. He absolutely refused to eat this.

By the time another week had passed, Chazz had become pretty much accustomed to living here in Slifer Red. He still refused to wear the tailored red suit that had been made for him – his pride couldn't handle that – but he had at least made some friends.

"Get off my bed!"

"Bouncy, bouncy! Come on, Chazz!" Cried Syrus, flopping up and down on Chazz's bed.

Jaden grabbed Chazz's arm, hauling him onto the bed where he pulled Chazz against his surprisingly strong chest. Chazz gnashed his teeth as Jaden began to jump, tugging Chazz up and down in the air with him as they jumped on his bed.

"Get your filthy shoes off my bed! Get out of my room!" He screamed, but Jaden just laughed, and pulled him closer, spinning around with him.

"C'mon, Chazz! It's fun! Relax a bit!" He said with a laugh.

"I'm going to throw up if you keep spinning me around." Chazz stated with a glare, but couldn't help laughing a bit. There was something vaguely infectious about him.

Jaden was like a tall, brunette cancer. You couldn't get it away from you, no matter how hard you tried.

"I'm gonna go check and see if Chumley is up yet. I'll meet you two in our bedroom, alright? Remember, Chazz, you promised that you were going to come on our camp-out tonight!" Syrus said.

When Syrus was gone, things became incredibly awkward. Chazz's body was still molded to Jaden's, but they both become so much more aware of Chazz's backside pressing against his groin. Chazz was slightly bent over, Jaden's arms wrapped around his waist and pulling him back closer. Chazz straightened, his legs tangled with Jaden's as he molded himself to Jaden's body.

"Jaden, we should get going…" He said quietly, flushing.

Jaden coughed, and scratched the back of his head, shots of electricity still running through his body from the smooth sensation of Chazz's body against his.

"Yeah." He said, flushing again. "Let's go! We can share a tent!" He said in a seemingly-innocent voice.

Chazz rolled his eyes. "I'll be right back. I'll meet you in your room." He said, and watched Jaden wander off, seeing how Jaden was still flushed, as was he. That was awkward but…undeniably, it had felt quite nice.

He walked down to the docks, with a cool sea-breeze blowing in his face. He had to go tell Zane that he was going to go camping, so that he didn't get worried. There was something gnawing in his stomach every-time that he saw Zane, though. A sort of worry that he wasn't good enough for Zane.

As he walked down, the sea coming ever-closer, he idly wondered why Zane had never asked him to the dance. And why hadn't Zane told any of his friends? Zane wasn't ashamed of him, was he?

Chazz beamed when he saw Zane's back, standing there, looking out to sea. Zane always made him feel warm and comfortable. He just seemed so strong, and all doubts about Zane left his mind when he saw Zane.

"Zane!" Chazz cried, running forwards to him, ready to kiss him.

"Oh, um…Chazz…you're…" Zane stammered, turning around to look at him. Chazz's eyes narrowed as he came closer, noticing a pair of narrow around wound around Zane's neck.

"Zane."

"Chazz, really…"

"Zane." He said, practically spitting the word. He grabbed Zane, then, wrenching him back to reveal Alexis, who was blushing.

"Chazz, it's…it's not…."

Chazz sneered. "Two can play at that game, Zane." Chazz said, and spun angrily on his heel.

Alexis looked up at Chazz, who was storming away.

"So, Zane…you were making out with him?" She asked with a dangerous tone of voice.

"Alexis, I didn't know how attached he and I would get…" He asked a bit nervously. Alexis shook her head. "You should go apologize."

Chazz, meanwhile, walked up to Jaden's room. "Jaden, can I talk to you?" He asked in a purr of a voice, grey eyes looking up in a sultry fashion.

Jaden flushed. "Yeah…I…"

Jaden's words were silenced as Chazz grabbed him, and pressed his mouth to his, twining their tongues just as Zane threw open the door.

A NOTE TO MY REVEIWERS:

Mwah, much love to all of you. Special thanks to Alexander The God, for the uber-long, really awesome review. And a note to certain people: If you're going to leave a review that just says, JADEN/CHAZZ JADEN/CHAZZ please don't. And guys…try not to flame. If you don't like the story, leave something constructive. Anyway, more kudos to my other faithful reviewers: Primeval Eidolon Scar, Battygirl, and Manjoume Thunder.


	15. I Give Up, But I Love You!

Jaden blinked. Then he blinked again, realizing that his tongue was in Chazz's mouth, and Chazz's tongue was in his mouth. And that their lips were pressed together, and their bodies were doing the most wonderful little squirming motion against each other, not leaving an inch of space between them. This was more than kissing it was like…it was like watching a piece of great art or literature unfold before his very eyes. But it was taking place in his mouth. And boy, he didn't want it anywhere else.

Zane stared, rage filling his normally emotionless eyes. "Chazz! What do you think you're doing…?" He demanded in his usual quiet voice, attempting to keep his anger from bleeding into it.

"Oh, nothing. You know, you have Alexis. I have Jaden. All's fair in love and war, really." Chazz said, smirking. His eyes betrayed him though, for they bore the faintest glimmer of tears there, a soft glitter that lined the edges of his eyes, and did not go unnoticed by Jaden.

Zane stared, mouth dropping open as though to speak, then closing again. Then he opened his mouth once more. "This is over, Chazz." He said, softly, hatred burning deep in his voice somewhere.

"I'm surprised you had to come here to figure that out."

"Don't even think of coming back to me."

"Why would I? I don't need you." Chazz stated, voice hissing in anger, like a cat trapped up against a wall.

Both boys stared at each other, their hearts ripped open and bleeding on the floors, but while both of them wanted to cling to each other, they instead threw up barbed walls of words.

"Chazz, I can't believe you would do something like this."

"Do you have anything else to say? You're starting to bore me. I have better things to go. The door is over there, don't let it hit you on the way out." Chazz said softly, his eyes narrowed as he watched Zane's white-clad back retreating through Jaden's door.

"Chazz? You're…Zane…you're both gay?" Asked Syrus softly, staring.

The awkward, angry silence broke as Jaden laughed out loud, and Chazz looked at his feet, chuckling softly. "No."

"Then you're straight?"

"No."

"Um…Chazz? Are you asexual?" Syrus asked, peering up at the older boy.

"Nope."

"Then…what are you?" Jaden asked, a silly grin plastered on his strangely lovable face.

"I'm private-list sexual. If I liked liked boys, that would include Chumley. If I liked girls, that could include Miss Dorothy. I only like people that I've chosen are worthy to be on my list."

"You're a really strange person, y'know that, Chazz?" Chumley asked.

"So I've been told."

Jaden then poked Chazz in the arm, looking down at him. He had never realized that Chazz was shorter than him – it was mostly Chazz's words that made him seem so tall, that confident, unbreakable attitude.

"What?"

"So…about earlier, y'know, the whole kissing thing…"

"What about it?"

Jaden didn't look at Syrus or Chumley for fear of rejection. "Maybe we could do it again sometime?"

Syrus grinned. "Alright, Jaden! You've got yourself a boyfriend!"

Chumley rolled his eyes, but smiled faintly at Jaden to let him know that he wasn't mad at him.

Jaden then grinned wildly.

"Yeah, I guess. If I'm not too busy, that is." Chazz said, looking Jaden up at down critically. "I suppose you'll do. You're a bit scruffy, though."

"Come on, Chazz! Let's go to the hot springs! Syrus and Chumley can come too!"

"Just because I said I'll kiss you again doesn't mean I'll be friends with you!" Chazz shouted, but that shout was completely ignored as he was pulled off into the campus hot springs where students went to relax with their friends, and gossip.

"And just so you know, I'm not your boyfriend." Chazz said to Jaden frankly.

Jaden just grinned.

"That's what you say!"

Chazz couldn't hold back his laughter as he was dragged down the road, and into the hot springs.

I have so many reviewers now, which is totally awesome. If I don't note anyone here, I probably just missed their name on my reviews and such, and I'll try and write them in next time, but it's getting hard with all my reviewers, heehee. Thanks for leaving them, and the reviews are ALWAYS appreciated. I'm gonna thank my insanely huge amount of reviewers:

Kath-Chan: Oh! I'm sorry I left you out, love. I was only noting people who reviewed a certain chapter. I still love you, lol. . Thanks for the constant reviews.

Iceman619: Thanks! That's so awesome, I'm practically glowing. I love positive reviews.

Mokuba's Official Glomper: Yay! I've read your stories, and I love them. Thanks for the review, it's always awesome to get a review from an author I like. Another faithful reader, too!

Frozenwithoutfear: Woooot! Thanks for the review, love! I'm so happy I've made it onto another person's favorites list!

Alexander the God: I'm always glad to read your long reviews, you're one of the few people who leaves them. Plus, you always name what you like and don't like, which is awesome. And as for the whole Alexis thing, I hate when girls only freak out and such, so I tried to give her a realistic, in-character reaction. Thanks for noticing. Happy Valentine's Day to you too, love.

DibMagician: Thanks! Glad you like it.

Brambleclaw588: Don't worry, I'll keep updating.

YYHStarbolt: Just wait and see who Chazz ends up with, heeheehee! I'm glad you like the story.

The New Shinigami Hikari: Yup, he is.

K-GForever: Haha, Chazz really doesn't eat enough. But I like starving my charries, heeheehee. Thanks for the review.


	16. Silence is Golden, Laughter is Platinum

The hotsprings were…well, hot. As always. The water was bubbling faintly, and exotic flora and fauna grew around the naturally hot water. Steam rose, clearing Chazz's sinus passages as he breathed in.

Jaden laughed.

"Stuffy nose?"

"I get colds really easily." Chazz said in an extremely clear voice, unlike his usual rasp.

"…Dude! Wait! Say something again!" Jaden said, prodding Chazz in the side.

"Ow! What?" He demanded, spinning, ready to take Jaden down.

"Your voice is so…clear! It's not all raspy and mean-sounding! You must get a lot of colds…" Jaden said, grinning up at Chazz.

"Yeah." Chazz said as they made their way through the locker room that allowed them access to the hotsprings. Technically they weren't supposed to be in the hotsprings after dark, but no one ever followed those rules.

All three boys stripped, and then wrapped towels around their waists, making sure not to look at each other out of their constant fear of being perceived as gay. Which was ironic, considering Chazz was 'private-list sexual', otherwise known as selectively bisexual.

Two boys looked up from where they were twined in the water, and Chazz blushed, seeing his pale, Southern friend, who blushed in return but waved sheepishly. He was sitting on the lap of his Duel Ethics teacher, Chazz realized.

He stared for a second, then hurried back to where Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were. He sank into the water then, when they weren't looking, moving silently through the water so that he appeared in their group, a large cluster of rocks separating them from the rest of the making out couples.

"Was that Professor…?"

"Yeah."

"And…?"

"Yeah."

"…That's kinda awesome!"

"Jaden!" Syrus exclaimed, amazed that Chazz and Jaden had just had that conversation in the first place.

Jaden looked at Chumley over Chazz's head. Chazz had sunk down, nose-deep in the water, lurking vaguely like a crocodile, letting the hot water open all of his pores and letting the steam wash away all of the impurities that he imagined were on his pale, white face.

Jaden then laughed, and shoved Chazz under the water. He reared back up like some sort of wild sea-monster, flailing out, sputtering, grabbing Jaden and shoving him under before Jaden could even figure out where his arms had been grabbed. He rolled with Chazz underwater, the two of them glaring as they slammed into the rocks along the bottom, skittering towards the deeper sections, glaring and growling at each other.

Then they both burst out of the water, and Chazz threw his head back, sending a shower of glittering water away from him, as Jaden shook his head like a dog. Jaden's little head-shake once more soaked Chazz, so that he had to shake his hair out of his face once more.

"You're an idiot."

"Aw, don't be bitter, Chazz. We're all friends here."

"You're STILL an idiot. Just a friendly idiot." Chazz muttered.

Jaden drew him back against his body as he sank down into his seat, pulling Chazz into his lap. Chazz tried to hit him, but Jaden caught his wrist, and kissed him. Strangely subdued, Chazz relaxed, and spent the remainder of the night kissing Jaden, much to Syrus and Chumley's chagrin. He saw that Chumley was pretending to gag, so he grabbed Jaden's head, and opened his mouth wide, making Jaden respond in turn, their tongues sliding wetly in and out of each other's mouths, both boys moaning.

Chazz pulled back, bloodless face flushed.

"I don't have time to waste like this." Chazz said, getting up, wrapping his towel around his waist before anyone could see anything, and sauntered away from the hotsprings.

"He's so weird…!" Chumley exclaimed.

"He's mean…" Syrus whimpered faintly.

"He's awesome…" Jaden said, watching Chazz's backside as it retreated, swaying.

----

The morning came all too quickly for Chazz's liking. He had popped quite a few pills when he got back, and he was lying on his bed when Jaden came in to wake him. Jaden served as his chipper little alarm, chirping for him to wake up.

"SNOOZE!" Chazz yelled, smacking Jaden in the head.

"Ouch…!" Jaden said, whacking Chazz in the head to wake him up.

Jaden waved a piece of paper in Chazz's face, making the boy sit up with a growl, looking over at the paper.

It was a letter from his brothers,

'Chazz –

Since you are a complete and utter failure at dueling, we've decided we'll try something else. If you screw this up, you are out of this family. We have a modeling shoot set up for you. Hopefully you will be the new face of the Pepsi ad campaign. And you better get out of Slifer Red. Disgraceful.

Jagger'

Chazz just blinked.

"Not that that's not sudden…" He whispered to himself, tugging a black sweater over his head, still staring down at the piece of paper. His sweater was baggy, and it hung huge on his still rather emaciated frame as he pulled on tight jeans and scruffy, large black boots. His spiky hair fell in front of his face, soulful grey eyes narrowed as he threw the scrap of paper into a trash-can.

"Whatever. Screw them." He said, walking outside and lighting a cigarette. His brothers had told him that he was no longer a part of the Princeton family. And he'd be damned before he worked for them again.

"Chazz…? You're gonna die if you smoke those." Jaden said.

Chazz's response was a billow of smoke into his face.

"I want to go down to the ocean." Chazz said suddenly, looking up at Jaden.

Jaden just nodded, and followed Chazz quietly as they picked their way over the hazardous rocks, Chazz occasionally letting out long breaths of smoke as he slipped down the long slopes.

Bastion was already down there, trying to meditate, and practicing his draws. Chazz stood on his hill, picked up a rock, and took aim, taking his cigarette out of his mouth so he could see, fanning away his cloud of smoke.

He then threw the stone in a slight arc.

"OUCH!"

Shrieked Bastion, jumping up. Chazz slid down the hill, brushing some dust off of his boots, smirking faintly. "Oops. I guess I dropped a rock." He said, seeing how Bastion was clutching his head.

Bastion glared at him, unable to even come up with a snarky response, he was so annoyed.

Chazz wandered off down the beach, down to a peaceful little shoal where water crashed all around him. It was dangerous, but beautiful. Jaden came over, sitting next to him. Chazz lay his head on Jaden's shoulder, and Jaden let him. He didn't say anything, just quietly held Chazz. He knew Chazz didn't want anything or anyone judging him right now, despite how he had feigned nonchalance about his brothers getting involved in his life once more.

"You're pretty nice." Chazz finally admitted, breaking the pleasant silence, his words grudging but true. He flicked ash to the rocks, watching as it dissolved within the salty water stains.

Jaden just smiled, and pulled him closer.

YAY! Reviews:

Thanks to (I don't have time to write EVERYONE a note this time): K-GForever, Kath-chan (yay, faithful reviewer from the very beginning!), TheOneYouCallWe (Thanks, love. I try.), The New Shinigami Hikari, Battygirl, Ranma Higurashi, Emiz, and Iceman629. THANKS SO MUCH! I'll try and do individual responses, but I get so many reviews. ".

Snowbluerat: Yay! Someone appreciates my vaguely twisted non-lovey humor! And I think the whole laughing thing probably had to do with how late it was, heeheehee! I write a ton of these things really late at night, so I sympathize. I know it's time to bed when I start to laugh at my own jokes, heeheehee! I'll try to make the chapters longer, but I lose concentration so fast, lol. Thanks!

Alexander The God: You've saved yourself a little place for each review because you leave such long ones. They make me happy. . Heeheehee! I loved your epiphany. I understood it, don't worry. And your little pun made me laugh hysterically (see the review above, it's very late at night here). I hope the whole hot-spring thing lived up to your standards! bows I am your review whore, lol. I like long reviews, bwhahhaha. I checked out some of your fics, too. They're really good.


	17. Intermission: Act 1! The play begins!

"Okay, get out of my room."

"Haha, c'mon, Chazz! That's not how you study…! We're supposed to be studying!"

"Shut up, Jaden. Out of my room. Out. Now. Don't let the door hit you on your way out."

"But…!"

Chazz glared from over the top of his magazine.

"Whatever." Chazz said, shrugging, leaning back into the pillows, eyes drifting closed.

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"What magazine is that, Chazz…?"

"Vogue."

"Vogue…? Isn't that a girl's maga-"

"Hush!" He said, shaking his head angrily, sending his grey hair flying.

Jaden crawled up under the magazine, laying on top of Chazz, smirking down at him. Chazz rolled his eyes. "Hey, Chazz."

"Yeah, yeah. Just let me mark my…hey! I'm gonna lose my page! Ugh! Jaden…oh…nevermind…yes, there…" Chazz said, suddenly quiet, as Jaden began to kiss a wet line down his neck, revealing the previous red marks that were there from Jaden's kisses.

The passion increased, and clothing decreased, until they were as one, their skin pressed against each other. "Jaden…" Chazz whispered, flushed face tilted back as he moaned softly.

"Chazz…I should go now…"

"I don't want you to stop."

"But…Chazz? Maybe it's too soon…"

"Just don't stop!" Chazz demanded, clinging to Jaden. He remembered Zane's body pressed up against his, pinning him down to the bed, that gorgeous navy hair mingling with his own. The two-toned eyes glittering near his, and those initial cries of pure passion, liquid, running through their veins like fire.

"Alright…" Jaden said softly, with a worried look on his face, as he removed their last shreds of clothing and moved onto the grand finale.

The next morning, Jaden woke. Chazz's head was on his stomach, and the other boy was sleeping peacefully. Occasionally he would twitch violently, and mutter something. He was also drooling, his hair squished completely flat on one side.

His heart-beat sped up when he remembered what they had done last night, their bodies mingled together, as one…

Oh, Gods…

Chazz woke slowly, the long, naked lengths of his body stretching as he gasped. He closed his eyes, and leant down into the pillows. "Jaden…"

He said quietly with a little smile, leaning down into the comfortable pillows.

Jaden pulled him closer, stroking his hair. Chazz's eyes were lidded, and he smirked. All thoughts of Zane were gone. He had never known that a virgin could make your body feel like that.

"That was my first time." Jaden said with that obnoxious grin.

"That's what I guessed when you asked me what you were supposed to do." Chazz said with a smirk, and a loud yawn. He lay on top of Jaden's chest, pressing his nose to Jaden's face.

It was odd, really.

Zane had made his body hum with lust every time that they touched…but Jaden did something much more simple.

He made Chazz happy.

Chazz smiled faintly, and combed his fingers through his long smoky black hair. Maybe…just maybe…this could work.

"I guess we could check Chazz's room…I mean, maybe he fell asleep there…?" Syrus said quietly from outside Chazz's door. Jaden's eyes went wide, and Chazz blanched.

"Oh, shit." Was all Chazz said before Chumley threw the door open.

There was the world's most awkward silence as Chumley and Syrus stared at Jaden and Chazz's naked bodies. Finally Jaden snatched a blanket, covering himself.

"Oh, way to be the chivalrous boyfriend! Yeah, cover yourself!" Chazz snapped, yanking for a bit of the blanket.

Syrus and Chumley looked happy that Jaden and Chazz were fighting once more.

Jaden rolled up in a big ball of blankets, laughing loudly as Chazz struggled to cover himself.

"Whatever. Take a good look, losers. This is the closest you'll ever get to perfection." Chazz said, stretching languidly, showing off the long lines of his body, all the sharp bones and flat lines and silvery angles.

Jaden growled, eliciting a smirk from Chazz. So Jaden WAS possessive.

Chazz smiled faintly, and stood up. "I'm going to go shower." He said, wandering out of the room, into the bathroom, and closing the door behind him.

"Wow…um…Jaden? You're…with Chazz…?"

"Yeah! I mean…I'm dating him…" Jaden said with a blush, scratching the back of his head, grinning, as he looked at Syrus.

"But…_with_ him? I mean…wow…" Syrus repeated, his whole face flushed.

"Yep! C'mon, let's go get lunch." Jaden said, grinning, pulling on his boxers and a T-Shirt, then tearing out of the dorms.

Chazz heard him go, and sighed quietly, looking at himself in the mirror. He pulled out a bottle of pills. Then he spilled it all on the counter. He pulled the trash-can out, ready to sweep them all into the trashcan, see the pills be gone…forever…

He swallowed three before he could stop himself.

"I'm sorry Jaden…I'm not strong like you." Chazz said, putting the pills carefully back into their bottle, and sliding them into the hidden drawer he had put in his first day in the dorms.

---

"Hey, do you ever get bad vibes about Chazz? Like he's not telling you stuff?" Chumley asked, shoveling food into his mouth.

"Nah, not really. It's not that he's not telling me things. I don't ask because I don't want to know." Jaden admitted. "There's just certain things that I don't want to know."

--

A note to my readers: Sorry if this chapter sucked. I've been having writing issues for a while, and some really big tests. Sorry! I'll be updating more often, I swear.

Thanks: Kath-chan, The New Shinigami Hikari, Ranma Higurashi, Emiz, Ginnii15, and Heieigirl003.

Comrade Bickazer Blue: Hee! Thanks so much for the constructive criticism. I'm sure that this chapter isn't going to be up to your standards, but we can't all have everything we want, heehee. I don't mind fluffy praise, honestly. Bwahaha. I'll be adding more towards the modeling section of this song really soon. Thanks, darling!

Alexander The God: Ahaha, feel free to quote me. . And Chazz smoking is definitely what I was picturing – I was just trying to put that into words. I'm glad that it worked for me. And I HAVE been noticing that your reviews are uber long. And I LOVE it. Mwaha. Thanks so much, love!

I'm going to bed now, y'all. Sorry I didn't write really descriptive thanks. But rest assured, next chapter will be much better.


	18. Act 2: Death's Balcony Scene

Alright: Thanks to everyone who reviewed, especially Alexander the God. This will be the last chapter to this story, so I hope you enjoy.

---

"So, Chazz…are you going to go to those auditions? For the modeling job?" Bastion asked the boy lounging against the tree, looking faintly paler than he normally did, large black circles under his eyes.

"No. I don't think so." He said in a soft voice, dozing, his hair covering his red-rimmed, narrow grey eyes.

"Chazz…? You've been acting…odd…these past few weeks." He said softly, looking in concern at Jaden's boyfriend.

"It's nothing, I just came down with a cold. I caught it from Chumley." He said, shivering, drawing his knees up tighter.

"Oh, alright." Bastion said, believing it because he wanted to.

"I think I'm going to head inside. I need to get my books before class." Chazz said, wandering inside. He shut his bedroom door behind him. The room was swelteringly hot, as he tried to adjust to the chills his heroin had given him.

All the lights were incredibly dim, and there was paper scattered on the floor of his bedroom, both from his notebooks, and ripped out of his books in bouts of frustration. The small walls of his Osiris Red room seemed to close in on him, screaming his failures at him. He hadn't been promoted yet, and his grades had been slipping dramatically over the past few weeks until he was permanently making his bed in the Osiris Red bedrooms, with no chance of escape.

First he had been a straight A student, dating Zane, with a slight drug addiction, but not much to speak of. Then he had been a high B student, dating Jaden, with a heavy drug addiction. And now he was at the third and final stage: he barely remembered Jaden; he was dating drugs now.

He picked up a half-tattered book, and slid it into his bag with a soft sigh. He moved to the porch with shuffling steps, and stood there, waiting for Jaden to come out. Jaden emerged, finally, looking adorably rumpled.

"Hurry, Chazz! We're gonna be late for class!" He said, speeding off. Chazz merely trudged behind him, while Jaden sped forwards.

Jaden looked back, wondering why his boyfriend wasn't at his side.

"Chazz? Come on! You're taking so long!"

Chazz just sighed, but moved ahead as slowly as before, as though he were struggling through thick mud.

"Just go on. I'll meet you at class."

"Oh…alright, then! See you there!" Jaden said with a grin, turning and hurrying away, laughing, completely unaware of Chazz's acidic stomach, not noticing how thin and sickly he was beginning to look.

Chazz looked back at the dorms, then at Jaden.

He turned and trudged back to the dorms, knowing that everyone would be back in their classes, doing schoolwork, or sleeping. No one would be active within the Osiris Red dormitories.

He walked into his room, and shut the door, setting his back down by the door, locking the door. He pulled out a note that he had written a long time ago, and set it on his desk, then walked into the bathroom. He made sure he was dressed neatly, hair brushed, face smooth and flawless. He had been waiting for this day for quite some time; he had been waiting for so long that his very soul itched.

He pulled out a bottle of sleeping pills, and counted out the entire bottle. He set them in neat rows, with a bottle of cold water, and then sighed a little bit, setting a pile of sealed, and signed envelopes, with all of his friends' names on the front, next to the letter he had written, all in neat stacks on the desk.

He systematically began to take the pills, eyelids drooping, and once they were all gone he threw away the bottle of water, and managed to get himself on the bed, neatly laid out, as though he had just gone to sleep.

And that was how Chazz Princeton left his final impression upon the world.


	19. Epilogue

Chazz's brothers stood, dressed in neat black pinstriped suits. Their faces were stained by tears, and the entire student body stood, neatly, watching them. Some girls, and some boys, cried on their friends shoulders. Jaden had crumbled against Chumley's shoulder, and Syrus was gently rubbing his arm. Atticus was holding Alexis, looking incredibly sad as Alexis cried, and Bastion was looking down at his feet. Zane stood apart from the other students, quietly.

"Students – my brother was a part of your family more than ours, I now see. We could have done so much for him – but we failed him as a family. It was your love…your love that kept him…kept him a-alive…" Jagger trailed off, tears running down his face, hiccoughing, "For as long as you did. For that, I thank you. Those of you to whom he wrote letters have already read them – I see them in your hands. Chazz was a free spirit, though he hid it. He lived his life in his dreams, and merely used his body as a shell to dream those dreams. To honor my brother, I will read one of his favorite lines from Hamlet.

For in that sleep of death what dreams may come

When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,

Must give us pause: there's the respect

That makes calamity of so long life;

For who would bear the whips and scorns of time,

The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely,

The pangs of despised love, the law's delay,

The insolence of office and the spurns

That patient merit of the unworthy takes,

When he himself might his quietus make

With a bare bodkin? who would fardels bear,

To grunt and sweat under a weary life,

But that the dread of something after death,

The undiscover'd country from whose bourn

No traveller returns, puzzles the will

And makes us rather bear those ills we have

Than fly to others that we know not of?

Now let us all drop our letters into the water. He would have wanted the messages he left to be spread around the world, to be seen and heard by all those that wished to take the chance of plucking a stray piece of paper out of water. Our love is with you, Chazz. May peace find you in Heaven, in your next lives, in all your adventures." Jagger whispered, getting off the podium as the students dropped their letters in the water, the ones who had them, watching the tide draw the letters, sealed tightly in bottles to preserved them, away to new and exotic lands that no one had ever heard of.

'_Dearest Brothers – _

_I'm afraid that this is the last time that you'll be hearing from me. I won't write a clichéd letter saying that it was all my fault or all your fault that I have done this. I won't say that I loved you, or that you loved me. I only wish to have both of you know that up until my final breath I viewed you with the utmost respect and reverence. I hope that in Heaven, I will be able to live up to your illustrious standards. _

_I don't wish to leave you a letter that is disturbingly verbose, so I will try to get to the point. You were the parents that I never had, and I don't want you to feel guilty for my death. Perhaps you pushed me too hard, but I never told you that I couldn't handle it. I welcomed the pressure – it was a chance to win your respect, a chance that I never took. _

_Despite all the hardships that we faced together, I still view you as the most delightful and influential figures that I have ever come across. You two were puzzles that I desperately wanted to crack. Perhaps in the next life, I will have a chance to encounter you. I will miss you, wherever I go after my death. _

_As you all know, the real world was far too much for me. I preferred to live within the dreams that I could make for myself, where everyone got along and where no-one fought each other. To quote a favorite line: If music be the food of love, play on. To you, my brothers, I give my unconditional love._

_Chazz Princeton'._

_'Mon Cheri, Zane – _

_Our relationship was the highlight of my brief respite here on earth. Do not flatter or worry yourself – our parting was not what caused my death. We were obviously not meant to be in this life, perhaps in a next. To you I leave my diary – you are the only one who ever understood the way that my mind worked. You were the only one that ever saw that rather than the cold, brutal views I pushed on others, my true mind was filled with the gentle clouds of dreams. I leave you my favorite Shakespeare sonnet, make what you will of it. Understand only that my love for you was unconditional, both as a friend, a lover, and a brother. _

_Those lips that Love's own hand did make_

_Breathed forth the sound that said 'I hate'_

_To me that languish'd for her sake;_

_But when she saw my woeful state,_

_Straight in her heart did mercy come,_

_Chiding that tongue that ever sweet_

_Was used in giving gentle doom,_

_And taught it thus anew to greet:_

_'I hate' she alter'd with an end,_

_That follow'd it as gentle day_

_Doth follow night, who like a fiend_

_From heaven to hell is flown away;_

_'I hate' from hate away she threw,_

_And saved my life, saying 'not you.'_

_Chazz Princeton_

'_My dearest friend, Jaden – _

_To be quite frank, our relationship was a mistake. A chance meeting of two straying hearts that collided and became one, grinding and melding together until they were too hard to separate. And I still love you more than anything, though not in the way a lover love's his soul mate. I love you as the friend that I never had, the friend that showed me that acceptance wasn't everything that mattered. You taught me that sometimes, standing out is better than blending in. Unlike the other letters, I will not leave you a line from Shakespeare, for I feel that you would not appreciate it. You do not need to: it was your blatant disregard of etiquette and rules that made you so attractive. I hope that perhaps my words will give you all the lines that you need to understand that you were not the cause of my death. You were, perhaps, one of the only barriers stopping me from it._

_Chazz Princeton'_

'_To everyone else (Syrus, Bastion, Chumley, Alexis, Atticus) – _

_I'll just leave you all a short note. I never liked you all that much anyway._

_Syrus – Get some courage, stop acting like a loser. You didn't contribute to my death, so don't give yourself any credit. You've gotten better throughout the year, though. I'll admit that._

_Bastion – I still firmly believe that I am more intelligent than you. I will miss our playful banters almost as much as I will miss throwing miscellaneous items at you (among them, rocks) as well as the way that dueling seemed to bring an incredible light to your face. Pity you couldn't use that wit to get a girlfriend. I'll miss you, old friend._

_Chumley – Stop eating and sleeping. You're worse than a damn koala. I have to admit that physically, you are incredibly intimidating. I respect people who can intimidate me. Goodbye._

_Alexis – I always thought I had a crush on you. I always thought you were calm and serene. Then I realize I was gay, that that you were really quite annoying. Erm…it was nice knowing you? It was nice to know you, at least._

_Atticus – I have always found you incredibly profound. I do not know you well…at least, I did not. I would have liked to become closer, perhaps to get to know you. I'm sorry if I ever offended you – I always looked up to you, quite possibly as much as I looked up to Zane. Good luck in your future duels._

_Chazz Princeton'_


End file.
